What's happening
This bill authorizes the Public Service Commission to require water companies to provide non-billing information to residents in large multi-unit buildings.
Why it matters
Improves Transparency and Safety. By requiring water companies to provide non-billing information—such as service updates and water quality notices—directly to residents, the bill ensures people are better informed about issues that could affect their health or daily life, even if they don’t pay the water bill directly.
Empowers Tenants in Large Buildings. Residents in co-ops, condos, or multi-family buildings with master water meters often lack access to important utility communications. This bill gives those residents more direct access to critical information, reducing reliance on property managers or landlords to relay it.
Facilitates Accountability. By mandating a process for sharing essential water-related information with end users, the bill could lead to quicker responses to service disruptions or water quality concerns, and make it easier for residents to advocate for timely solutions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Water Info Notices
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to energy and telecommunications
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Water Info for Residents
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Kenneth Zebrowski
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7011
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2020
Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Energy and Telecommunications
AN ACT to amend the public service law, in relation to authorizing the public service commission to require water-works corporations to provide certain residents with non-billing related information
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 89-c of the public service law is amended by adding a new subdivision 17 to read as follows:
17. The commission shall have power to require each water-works corporation to establish a process for residents of any cooperative, condominium or multi-family dwelling with five or more residential units, which uses a master meter to distribute water to such residents, to obtain non-billing related information regarding the delivery of water including but not limited to service updates, water quality notices and other information deemed essential to water consumers.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10825-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public service law, in relation to authorizing the public service commission to require water-works corporations to provide certain residents with non-billing related information
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would require waterworks corporations to provide non-billing related information to water users that reside in condominiums, cooper- atives or certain multi-family residences.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends the public service law, as it relates to duiring waterworks companies to prove certain non-billing information such as service updates and water quality notices to certain residents whose cater is distributed by a master meter.
Section 2 of the bill relates to the effective date
Justification
Residents who live in certain condominiums, cooperatives or multi-family residences are not afforded the same access to critical information on their water that other users are. These residents receive their water through a master meter and ,:re not considered customers by the water- works corporations. As a result, they do not directly receive any notifications regarding water quality or service interruptions. This bill empowers the public service commission to require waterworks corpo- rations create a process where these residents are able to obtain non- billing related information regarding their water.
Prior legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.